Another opposing freshman quarterback causing problems. Another suffocatingly tight game that was in doubt down to the wire. But finally a win was in store for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their "Holy War" with Boston College. After six straight losses to the only other Catholic FBS team, it was the Irish defense, oddly enough, that forged the team on to victory, and broke another embarrassing streak that the team has amassed during their 15-year freefall from the ranks of the elite in college football.
And while Charlie Weis once again made some highly questionable decisions in the game and the defense looked over-matched for the bulk of the contest, the Irish found ways to make big plays in crucial situations. And although the team continues to lack optimal cohesiveness, they find themselves at 5-2 and maintaining a decent shot at a high-profile bowl game.
The offense was not spectacular for the Irish, at times looking reminiscent of the grind-it-out teams of years passed. Jimmy Clausen was solid, posting 246 yards and two touchdowns without a pick. His totals are respectable but he was unusually erratic at times, completing only 26 of 39 passes, and his mobility was visibly impaired due to his turf-toe injury that has been a continuous problem the past few weeks. Clausen wasn't at his best, but the banged up yet resourceful quarterback put in a gritty days work, and got the job done in the end despite his obvious physical handicaps.
Golden Tate was his usual phenomenal self, pulling in 11 balls (a career high) for 128 yards. He brought down both of Clausen's touchdowns including the game winner, a 36-yard gem with just under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. Tate now has 52 receptions for 847 yards (third in the nation) and eight touchdowns (second) on the season. It is time to include his straight-from-central-casting name — along with that of Clausen — in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
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